Strategic freedom: Free Software in the public sector

Free Software is a perfect fit for the public sector. It is a public
resource that government organisations can use, study, improve, and
share with each other. For citizens, this means transparency, cost
efficiency, and the freedom to interact with their government in the
way that suits them best.

Yet public bodies often put Free Software at a disadvantage. This
results in taxpayers' money being spent in ways that are often
wasteful, and frequently illegal. FSFE works with public sector
organisations at all levels - from the European Commission to local
administrations - to systematically improve procurement practices
across the continent.

Why procurement matters

Public procurement spending equals nearly 20 per cent of the EU's
GDP. Governments' buying decisions can determine the success or
failure of whole industries. Energy-saving technology and recycled
paper only came into widespread use because governments started buying
them. The same mechanism applies to Free Software. Many public
adminstrations that begin using Free Software see their IT costs drop
by 50-90 per cent, freeing up public funds for other uses.

FSFE speaks up when things go wrong...

Many public bodies remain locked into their traditional suppliers of
proprietary software. At FSFE, we work with journalists and
researchers to highlight the work of public sector organisations that
are doing it right. When a public body makes mistakes, we help them to
correct them. And when necessary, we put pressure on organisations
that insist on harmful ways of buying software.

...and offers independent solutions

At FSFE, we are in constant dialogues with procurement
specialists across Europe. We observe new approaches, identify
what works, and provide analysis to decision makers. We help
specialists in different countries learn from each other.

We help procurement officials understand the full impact of
their actions, and we help them to do better - not only for
their organisations, but also for the citizens whom they
serve. FSFE's work has helped to create policies and practices
that promote Free Software and Open Standards in several
European member states, such as Italy, the UK and Germany.

Our demands

Some of our key demands are:

All software that is paid for by public funds must be
available to the public under free licenses.

When acquiring software and contracting services, public
bodies should make Free Software their default choice.

Public bodies should archive all their documents in
formats based on Open Standards, such as the Open Document
Format (ODF).

All public bodies should acquire their software through
competitive, public calls for tenders based on functional
specifications, not brand names.

All contracts with suppliers should be made public.

By helping governments to buy and use more Free Software, FSFE
is driving real change. Please support us in this effort.